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Forgiven

Some advice

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Seems this is the second post here ever :P

 

Anyways, I am currently an aerospace engineering major in college. Its been ok but its kind of tiring at how much we need to learn in my math and physics classes and physics hardly makes sense (the professor sucks imo). I have 2 passions though, math and music, and recently, i have been thinking about doing a music major instead. Im not entirely sure what i would do, maybe performance and minor in production.

 

My question is, is there anyone here who knows anything about music majors? Will it be worth it?

Please help me decide.

 

Also, I do have some music covers of me on guitar. Here is my decent ones if you wish to check them out:

 

 

 

 

Thank you for the help

Edited by Forgiven

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If you want to work with something you love, music is going to be pretty good but it most likely wont bring you a big amount of money. So it really depends on what you want more, to work with music or make money.

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I am a Music Education Major currently (1 academic semester left then I will be student teaching). If you are interested in music, I would strongly encourage you to think about how much time you can put into practicing as well as long nights of homework. Being a music major is not easy at all. My university requires 148 credits to graduate, which is a 4.5 to a 5 year degree, if you take 18+ hours/semester. With summer school, I will be done in 4 thankfully.

 

Practicing is the key. At the end of every semester, you have to perform a jury in front of professors to judge your progress over the semester. Most colleges require 6 hours of practice per credit hour of applied instrument study. That means if the applied class is 2 credit hours, then you need to practice 12 hours a week.

 

The other thing about being a music major is learning theory. I have to say, this is the hardest and easiest thing I have ever learned. The material is ridiculously hard once you get into altered chords and atonal theory. It begins to be enjoyable when you have drilled the information for countless amounts of hours. And it is not basic theory and chords for guitar, because I play guitar too.. This is tonal theory that was set in the late 17th century and early 18th century by Jean Jacques Rameau (spelling). You will have to learn the chord progressions that were established by him and later set by Bach's numerous compositions for the English church. So it isn't just basic chord patterns we know today, this is different in many aspects...

 

Piano and singing are your next thing to consider. You will have to sing sol feg (spelling) with basic melodies in all keys and clefs. Eventually, you will sing modulations using altered chords or just basic pivot modulations. Piano is required of all music majors to learn. So if you have trouble reading choir scores or playing simple pieces, this might be an issue...

 

I am a violin major, but I play all of the instruments within the string family. You will also have to take classes and learn how to play all instrument that can be found in an orchestral setting (woodwinds, brass, strings, percussion) as well as vocal methods class. You don't have to master them all, but be knowledgeable of how to teach/play them.

 

For a performance major, it is a little different.... There is more theory! and 24 hours of required practice per week... Other than that, its basically the same without the education classes.

 

If you have any specific questions, you can always forum pm me or pm me in game when I am on and I will chat about it with you.

 

*EDIT*

 

As for money, musicians make a decent amount of money, trust me ;) I currently make 30$/hr teaching privately and performing in orchestras in my area. If all you are wanting to do is teach music in the public schools, you are looking for a rough start though, but the lack of money can easily be filled with money from performing. The concert master of the Philadelphia Orchestra makes 600,000$+ currently, so the money is there ;)

Edited by InfectioN

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Listened and watched your video’s, nice work, there is certainly something there but more polishing is needed to make it really shine. Practice will certainly make it perfect but accept and get used to dodging beer and rotten tomatoes on your way, fair or unfair, the smell of backstages, smoky venues, perhaps foreign languages, customs, rules and dangers, temptations of every kind, late night hours, horrible hotel rooms, long times away from partner, wife, child, the power of paparazzi and other monsters, studio technicians who knows it all better, the smell of money and the ones who would like to take it all away as fast as possible, vip’s and attitudes, the smell of diesel and unwashed t-shirts, interviews and being judged by the click of a button, airports and oh yeah lots of waiting, security guys, the list goes on an on, but there is one thing that makes it all worth it. :rolleyes: Whatever way you choose, do it from within, with your brains and with passion and it will be groovy.

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thanks for the reply guys. I am not looking to be a teacher, but do performance and maybe do work on programs on a computer. I choose the computer work because i have read that musicians and artists pay people to help them convert or write stuff on the computer for them. Whatever this is i could minor in it and major in performance.

 

Do i still need to learn all those different instruments with this and play piano? I just want to play guitar, other instruments do not interest me. Whoever Cyrus is, i will be on later tonight in maybe 6 hours. i have my girlfriend over for a while and some homework to do. But i will be on in 6 hours, so hopefully you will be on.

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You know me Mclaren :P A music major must learn piano as well as take theory and all that jazz, but you don't have to do the other instruments if you are a performance major. But piano is required for everyone... As for what you are saying, there is no minor in it technically (or at least to my knowledge...) You will have to take a music computer tech class within the major. That class usually covers all of the programs used for electronic music control. Some of these include audacity, digital performer, and garageband. Auralia is a program that teaches theory to students as well as helps with improvisation on piano. Finale and Sibelius are very popular composing programs where you are literally writing the music note by note. I know there is a masters/doctorate degree with music tech, but I don't know about undergrad...

 

If you have anymore questions, feel free to ask

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Seems this is the second post here ever :P

 

Anyways, I am currently an aerospace engineering major in college. Its been ok but its kind of tiring at how much we need to learn in my math and physics classes and physics hardly makes sense (the professor sucks imo). I have 2 passions though, math and music, and recently, i have been thinking about doing a music major instead. Im not entirely sure what i would do, maybe performance and minor in production.

 

30 years ago I had a similar dilemma. Now I have three children lol.

 

Passions change as you get older.

Edited by themuntdregger

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My suggestion, go and visit the music classes when you have some breaks for yourself and see about how you would feel in those classes. Then I would talk to the guitar applied teacher and say that you are interested in switching. Maybe ask him for a free lesson or if he has some time available if you could see if its something you wanted to do....

 

You will have to learn classical guitar music though. Meaning a lot of Bach's works transcribed from violin/cello for guitar..

 

Thats what I would do first..

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